Entering into the football and cricket season, weekends involve having the family and friends for the collective cheer and match-viewing. While for the first few days, quick snacks like crisps, fried pakoras, fritters, tater-tots provided immediate sustenance during the game hours; alternatives were required for the semi-finals and final game nights. Consequently it was tiny sandwiches and canapes for the remaining days.
One of the types of hors d’œuvre, a canapé is a small, prepared and often decorative food consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted), puff pastry or a cracker topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite. The technical composition includes a base (bread, pancake, fresh vegetables or even crackers), the spread (compound butter, flavoured cream cheese, thick cream); the main item (meat, cheese, fish, relish, purees, caviar, foie gras) and topped with garnish of choice. The latter can be varied, from finely chopped vegetables, scallions, herbs or even truffle oil).
Quiet interesting is the fact that canapes weren’t an overnight invention. Savory protein on bread or pastry combinations (croutons, crustades) were a gradual adaption and evolution of the cuisine through Middle Ages. Though the “Canapes” of today, had originated in France. They were initially offered to the guests of the French fêtes (18th century) and this practice was adopted by the other cuisines around the world especially the English. Although the concept of making canapes have evolved, today they are also known as finger foods (not vice versa) or savouries. Though the larger canapes often border close to being labelled as open sandwich.
The beauty of making canapés is that subtle variations can affect a distinct difference in taste and style. For instance, the base can be changes to crackers, toasted bread pieces or even flat vegetables seasoned, deep fried or sauted cut into interesting shapes and sizes. For the kids, canapés can be decorated with sugar sprinkles, gems or even different coloured icing for an added touch of colour.
[1869:Paris]
“Anchovy canapes.
Cut some slices of crumb of bread, 1/4 inch thick; cut these in pieces 2 1/2 inches long, 1 1/2 inch wide; and fry them in clarified butter, till a nice golden colour; When cold, spread the pieces with Anchovy Butter; Steep some anchovies in cold water; drain, open, and trim them; Place 4 fillets of anchovies, lengthwise, on each piece of bread, leaving three small spaces between the fillets; fill the first space with chopped hard-boiled white of egg; fill the middle space with chopped parsley, and the third with chopped hard-boiled yolk of egg; Dress the canapes in a flat china boat, or small dish, generally used for all these cold Hors d’oeuvre.”
—The Royal Cookery Book, Jules Gouffe, translated and adapted for English use by Alphonse Gouffe [Sampson Low, Son & Marston:London] 1869 (p. 409)
[NOTE: This source also contains recipes for shrimp canapes, caviar canapes, crayfish tails canapes, lobster canapes, and smoked salmon canapes.]
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 
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